If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Double Double Bridge

I've picked up my old double hammock and have been putting some finishing touches on it. Weight of the hammock body is 34 ounces, but I am hoping to save weight, when hiking with my girlfriend, by using a single tarp and a double wide single quilt. I may have to add some type of quilt wings to keep it tucked around both of us.

The hammock utilizes two head spreaders of 36", which may be substituted with my hiking poles. I will carry a single 32" JRB pole at 3.5 ounces for the foot spreader. My three tree huggers weigh 4.5 ounces combined.

The double bottom accommodates two WarmLite DAMs for bottom insulation.

A central cord attaches to the end of the foot suspension triangle. It meets the hammock fabric near the knees. I am planning on closing the bottom of the quilt around this central cord. I will have to see if it gets in the way of our feet (so far it seems OK). The central cord attaches to webbing near the head, where it splits into two 5" extensions, one for the inside tip of each of the head spreader bars (or poles). The apex of the head end suspension triangle are held together at a fixed distance (still tweaking this adjustment).

So, it looks like we can lie close, but not be jammed together in this. It is an idea I have been working on for a long time. I think I am getting close. Any thoughts or questions from you?

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, I gave up on using only two points to suspend a hammock for two people. I have two attachment points at the head, plus one at the feet. For a total of three attachment points. The head end attachment points need to be at least five feet apart.

So, there is hardly any sway, and one person can lie comfortably in it- although there is a better hang when two are in it.

It swivels very slightly, I would estimate five degrees. It causes one to feel the central cord raise.
Warbonnet asks:...

looks like it works very well. how tall is the wall between 2 people? what are you guys laying on?

Thanks! The "wall is about as high as the thickness of the pads- between 2" and 3" is my guess. We are on thick Warmlite DAMs inflated pretty firmly.

looks like the head spreader bars are not "straight" end to end, there's an angle between them, can it vary, like if the trees were closer together or farther apart?

Yes, there is an angle between the head spreader bars orientation, and it gives a bit of wiggle room when hammock occupants are changing positions. But when this design has been finalized, that spreader bar angle will not vary. The two apexes are a fixed distance apart approximately four feet right now. Adjusting this distance has a direct effect on the tension of the lateral edges in relationship to the tension of the central cord. I am going to add about two inches from this length next time I try it to loosen the central cord slightly.

so you're using 2 trees at the head end, are you using use 3 suspension triangles as well, 1 at the foot end and 2 at the head end?

Yeah, I don't believe any more that a double hammock would ever be stable between only two trees, especially when one person gets up.

really great looking design, how does it feel, any different than a single?

I know it is different, hard to describe exactly how at this early stage. But it is kind of like the first time you slept asym on a gathered end hammock is different.

Grizz says:

outstanding! Working on a double hammock to get Mrs Grizz in the air too is a project I'd pegged for next year....this will make it sooo much easier...thanks for sharing

Thanks a lot Grizz! I am glad to hear you have plans for something similar. Let me know if I can clarify any design aspects that might contribute to your design process.

did you see the thread where the guy was hanging 2 end gathered hammocks with 3 trees, and he could use head trees much farther apart but still keep the head ends of the hammocks close by using a length of cord to hold a max width between the lines? kinda like an anti-spreader bar.